Mechanism for feeding fish to fish dressing machines



June 15, 1954 N. L. .OATES $680,8 6

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FISH T0 FISH DRESSING MACHINES Filed Dec. 9, 1949 {Sheets-Sheet I INVEN TOR.

NORFORD L. GATES BY I I June 1954 N. L. OATES 2,680,876 MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FISH TO FISH DRESSING MACHINES 4 Sheet -sheet 2 Filed ec. 9, 1949 5 Nm {Y m E m L m M A N June 15, 1954 N. ATEs- 6 MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FISH 4 TO FISH DRESSING MACHINES v Filed Dec. 9, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet s l5 a I /5a.. a ,4 g A9 ,1

| i I I l I INVENTOR. A/OAFORDL 0A 7'55 A rroRA/E Ys June 15, 1954 N. L. OATEAS 2,6805876 MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FISH TO FISH DRESSING MACHINES Filed Dec. 9, 1949 4 "sheets shee t 4 IN V EN TOR. NORFORD L OA T56 A TTORNE rs Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED OFFICE MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FISH TO FISH DRESSING MACHINES Application December 9, 1949,- Serial No. 131,953

14 Claims.

The feeding of fish, such as salmon, in commercial canneries to a fish-dressing machine, such as that known to the trade as the Iron Chink, has always constituted somewhat of a problem, for it has to be done accurately and in correct synchronism, and in early days was of suificient importance to warrant stationing an operator at this point alongside the machine, to accomplish feeding by hand. At a feed rate of fifty fish a minute this was physically possible, but with modern fish-dressing machines of this type, capable of operating at normal speeds in the vicinity of one hundred twenty fish a minute, or of speeding up to one hundred fifty fish a minute or more, that problem has become acute, for hand feeding is physically impossible at that rate, even if the labor cost thereof were not an insuperable objection. One of the factors in the problem is the practical necessity, just prior to dressing the fish, of positively advancing the individual fish, while each is disposed transversely of its direction of advance, at spaced intervals along a feeder table, where each is shifted lengthwise until its pectoral girdle is in correct alignment with a beheading point, and is then accurately beheaded, and the necessity for releasing the fish, and then initiating its tailward advance to a point where it is again positively engaged, by mechanism necessarily synchronized with the original feed table drive means.

The fish are of random size, varyin perhaps from siX or eight pounds up to twenty-six or even occasionally thirty pounds, with corresponding dilferences in length, and while there may not be the variation between extreme limits in any given run, there will be a sufficient variation in size and length of the individual fish as they come across the feed table that when they are delivered, after beheading, from the end of the feed table, they will all be aligned at the neck cut, but thence will all extend in the same tailward direction, but to varying distances, towards the nearby fish-dressing machine. Each fish must then be advanced tailwardly toward the fishdressing machine, at a sufiicient rate of advance to clear even the longest followin fish, to a pick-up point where it must be halted by engagement of its tail in position such that it can be engaged by the fish-engagin elements which form part of the fish-dressing machine, generally in nature of pins which penetrate the tail and along the back of the fish. The difficulty arises primariiy from the necessity of advancing fish of difierent. or random lengths, each by engagement of the identically located neck out, tailwardly all in the sam time interval, but by diiferent distances (the shortest through the greatest difference) because of their varying lengths, in time that the tail end of each, even the shortest, will arrive at the pick-up point not later than the arrival there of the initial fish-engaging means of the fish-dressing machine.

It is clear that the rate of movement necessary when delivering fish at speeds of one hundred twenty or more a minute is too great to permit uncontrolled gravity advance, or manual advance, of the fish from the feeder table to the fish-dressing machine and, indeed, the latter would be too costly and hence uneconomical. At the same time it will be realized that if mechanical means to advance the fish by engaging the neck out, after their delivery from the feeder table, to the pick-up point adjacent the fishdressing machine, are synchronized (as they must be) to effect arrival of the shortest fish in sufficient time to be there engaged and carried away by the fish-dressing machine, as the fish-engage ing means thereof arrive at and pass th pickup point, then longer fish having less distance to travel, will arriv sooner at the pick-up point, and must be halted there, to remain until arrival Of the fish-engaging means of the fish-dressing machine at that point. The mechanical fishadvancing means must in some manner distinguish between the longer and the shorter fish, and not continue to urge the halted longer fish past the pick-up point after its arrival and halting there. Any such urging may cause a longer fish to buckle, and may throw it from its position at the piclnup point and result in damage to or improper cleaning of the fish.

It would appear practicable to employ mechanical fisl1-advancing means which were resiliently supported, so that when a longer fish is halted at the pick-up point the fish-advancing means would yield resiliently, and continue on without further urging of the fish lengthwise. Upon trying such a solution it was found that any such resiliently mounted fish-advancing element, upon initial positive pushing engagement with the fish (for instance at the neck out), would be inefiective, in many instances, to in itiate its advance toward the pick-up point. Fish vary in their condition. Some are reasonably stiff, others are very stiff, but a fish which has been out of the water some time may become limp and flabby. Moreover, their skin condition changes. Some fish will slide and start readily, whil others, once halted, will tend to stick fast and require a very considerable force to initiate renewed advance, even though but little force is required to continue their advance, once started. Because of such factors it was found that any fish-advancing means that might be sufficiently resiliently mounted to yield with relation to a fish that might be limp or flabby, upon its halting at the pick-up point, would yield so readily that it would not properly initiate the advance of a fish that would tend to stick, where it was first engaged by the fish-advancing element. Moreover, such yieldable means, though reasonably satisfactory at low speeds, proved somewhat too logy at normal high speeds. Accordingly, it has been considered preferable to devise a substitute for such resiliently mounted fish-advancing elements, for use under normal or present-day con ditions of operation.

Among such devices were those disclosed in my application Serial No. 665,701, filed April 29, 1946, and now abandoned, and in my application, Serial No. 5,817, filed February 2, 1948, now Patent No. 2,585,267, issued February 12, 1952', as a substitute for the one first mentioned. In general, such devices incorporated means which were sufilciently stiff, and so incorporated in the drive to the fish-advancing means, as were intended to give the latter sufficient stiffness to initiate advance of a fish, and yet were of such resilience that they were intended to yield upon the halting of a long fish at the pick-up point, and by their resilience were intended subsequently to restore the fish-advancing means to proper phase relationship and synchronization with the fish-dressing machine. Such devices were tried in practical operation, and besides being noisy and subject to occasional breakage, which becomes serious where facilities for effecting repair are limited and great economic loss of fish can result from a breakdown, were found to be not wholly satisfactory in high-speed operation, especially when some of the fish were limp and flabby. It was found impracticable to make the device sufiiciently yieldable to yield promptly upon the halting of a long but limp fish, while at the same time making it still enough to initiate proper phased advance of each fish, and at the same time to make it stiff enough to catch up in its phase relationship in time, after its retardation.

Accordingly, other mechanism involving yielding of the fish-advancing means at a point in its advance past the point of initial engagement, but stiller and substantially unyielding at the latter point was provided and tried out in practical operation but was not proven wholly satisfactory. For one reason, it added appreciably to the delicateness and complication of a machine which must, above all, be rugged and capable of ready adjustment and operation by relatively unskilled labor.

The device of the present application is the result of further examination of the problem, and involves retention of the general principles of the machine of the last-mentioned application, coupled with a return to the original principle of a resilient but now quite direct mounting of the fish-advancing means, accompanied by a mechanical locking of those fish-advancing means against resilient yielding during the time and at the point where it initially engages the fish, the same being released for resilient yielding only thereafter, that is to say, after ad- Vance of each fish has been positively initiated, such releasing occurring prior to such time as even the longest fish is likely to be halted by engagement of its tail end at the pick-up point.

The present invention, therefore, is the culmination of several years of searching and experimentation with tentative solutions, and it has been found with such trial as it has been possible to give it, to be a most effective solution to the problem, and to be the means whereby the advance of fish after delivery from a feeder table, to a pick-up point for engagement by the fishdressing machine, may be accomplished most accurately and as rapidly as the speed of operation of the fish-dressing machine may require, regardless of variations in the size or condition of the individual fish. The provision or" mechanism and a method to effect these ends is the general and primary object of this invention.

As in certain of the preceding applications, wherein difficulty was encountered in properly engaging the fish by the several fish-engaging means of the fish-dressing machine, due to the abrupt angular change of direction of the fish at the pick-up point, there is incorporated in the present invention a device which may be termed a lifter, which efiects movement of the halted tail end of a fish in the same general direction and at approximately the same speed as the initial fish-engaging means of the fishdressing machine during the period of initial engagement of the fish by the latter, and which further operates to hold the fish closely against the periphery of the bull ring of the fish-dressing machine for proper engagement with following fish-engaging means.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide mechanism to the ends already indicated which. shall be as simple as possible, rugged and hence little likely to become damaged in use or to function improperly, and which retains or is restored automatically to its synchronous or correct phase relationship well in advance of the time for its engagement with a succeeding fish, or which, indeed, never varies from that phase relationship, although it may depart from operative position for a time.

With such objects in mind, and others as will become apparent as this specification progresses, the present invention comprises the mechanism and the method as disclosed in the accompanying drawings and in this specification, of which they are a part, and which will be more fully defined by the claims at the end hereof. In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown in a typical form that is presently preferred by me, but it will be understood that various changes may be made in the details thereof, and in the form, character and arrange= ment of the elements of the mechanism, without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Figure l i a general plan view of the n1echanism, parts being broken away and others being shown in section for clearer illustration.

Figure 2 is in general an end elevation of the fish-advancing means, looking from the point of view of the fish-dressing machine, which is omitted.

Figure 3 is an axial sectional view of mechanism whereby the phase relationship of the fishadvancing means to the fish dressing machine and to the feed table may be adjusted, if required.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view through the feed trough, illustrating the position of the fish-advancing means during normal advance ofa fish, and Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating the position of parts after a fish has been halted and its advance stopped.

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the fish-advancing element, parts being generally in. the positioncorresponding to Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a similar view but taken from the opposite viewpoint, showing parts in the position generally corresponding to that of Figure 5.

No detailed description of the feed table nor of the fish-dressing machine is needed, and yet some understanding of each will help clarify the function of the intervening trough and its fishadvancing means. A feed table, such as that with which the mechanism of this application is intended to cooperate, is disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 782,865, filed October 29, 1947, now Patent No. 2,625,708, issued January 20, 1953, and in somewhat different form in other co-pending applications, Serial No. 430,367, filed February 11, 1942, new Patent No. 2,507,808, and Serial No. 442,706, filed May 12', 1942, now Patent No. 2,597,809, and in my Patent No. 2,346,935, issued April 18, 1944. In general, such feed tables, comprise a table, represented herein at 8, upon which individual fish are supported and along which they are advanced, while disposed transversely of the direction of advance, each with its head at one side and its tail directed toward the opposite side. They are advanced at regular time intervals, and in the course of their advance each one is engaged by its pectoral girdle and advanced toward its snout end until its pectoral girdle is in correct alignment with the path oi a beheading knife, and upon passing the beheading point each fish is there engaged and be headed by a rotating knife, and is promptly thereafter deposited in a trough, which trough, repre sented at 5, is a part of the mechanism of this invention.

From that point of deposit, each beheaded fish is advanced along the trough in time to be engaged by its tail end and subsequently along its back, by fishing engaging means which are part of a fish-dressing machine. Such a fish-dressing machinemay be such as is disclosed, for example, in the patent to E. H. Waugh, No. 1,542,196, of June 16, 1925, or in the Waugh Patent No. 1,459,27 3, of June 19, 1923, and in particular it involves fish-engaging means such as are shown in the Waugh Patent No. 1,360,064 of November 23, 1920. Briefly, such a machine incorporates a bull ring,

herein disclosed at 9, rotatable in an upright plane, to the periphery of which each fish is pinned at definitely spaced intervals, and at time intervals corresponding to the time interval of the advance of the fish along the feed table, or vice versa, and is thus advanced past various splitting and cleaning devices, by means of which the entrails are removed, and from whence the fish is delivered, substantially cleaned and ready annin Tl ie trou gh 5 is seen to be the transfer device whereby the fish, after release at a deposit point from the positive means which advanced it along the feed table andpast the beheading knife, is received, supported, and guided for advance to.

the fish-dressing machine, for pick-up by the latter at a definite pick-up point. Since the fishdressing machine and the feed table are synchronized and each operates during 1dent1calt1me intervals on a fish (although the rateof advance of the fish along the feed table is relatively slower because they are spaced transversely of their length, and in the fish-dressing machme they are advanced relatively rapidly because they are 6. spaced longitudinally) it is essential that this synchronism or phase relationship be maintained during theadvance of the fish along the trough 5 from the feed table 8 to the pickup point of the fishedressing machine. It is with this problem that the present invention is concerned.

Chains 80, moving in slots in the surface of the feed table 8, carry upstanding lugs 8| at definitely spaced. intervals, by means of which a fish is advanced past the beheading point and is delivered to' the trough 5. The feed table. chains 89 are driven in synohronism with the fish-dressing machine through drive mechanism suggested at 82 (see Figure 2).

The fish-dressing machine includes a bully ring 9, the fish-engaging pincers 9 I, rotative therewith, and shiftable by cam means at 92, and the nonrotative fixedly positioned fish-halting means 93, which are positioned to engage and halt the tail end of a fish at the pick-up point. The. bull ring 9 is rotated by a drive mechanism, indicated at 90, in synchronism with the drive means 82 for the feed table. The trough 5, with its lead-on apron 90 (which is, in effect, a continuation of the feed table 8) is positioned so that it receives thebeheaded fish from the feed table and delivers them to the pick-up point represented at 93, for positive advance of the. fish along the trough in correct synchronism with the feed table and fishdressing machine. There is provided a chain I0, one run whereof is guided and supported solidly in a groove 5i at one side of the trough 5, and the chain is mounted upon a drive sprocket wheel 4' and an idler and tightener sprocket Wheel 46, carried by upright shafts such as the shaft 4| shown in Figure 3. Carried by the chain are one or more pushers or fingers I which in normal operative position project into the trough in posi tionto engage behind the neck out of a fish and thereby to advance the fish tailwardly.

Each such finger is pivotally mounted at H upon a link of the chain 50, and each is formed, in a sense, as a bell-crank lever having the rear wardl-y projecting arm i2 carrying a cam-follower 13, which rides along a fixed 52 disposed alongside the fingers path of movement, within the same side of the trough 5. These elements are so arranged that during that portion of the advance of the finger wherein it engages and initiates movement or a fish that has been deposited in the trough, the cam 52 looks the finger in outwardly directed fish-engaging position. In Figures 4 and 6 the cairn-follower i3 is about to leave the cam 52, and this occurs after advance of the fish tailwardly has been initiated, but in advance of the time when even the longest fish to be advanced would have reached and been halted at the pick-up point. After release of the finger and its cam-follower, the finger is free to pivot ba-ckwardly, and thus to cease urging the fish forwardly, unless the finger is held thus projected outwardly by other means.

Such other means are employed, and are resiliently yieldable. They may include the coinpressible spring 53, interposed between a bracket M which is fast to a link of the chain and a stop IS on the end of a rod 15a. The latter is connected to one end of a lever which is, in effect, a gear segment l6, and a meshing gear segment I? is fast upon the pin H which constitutes the pivot for the finger i, so that when the finger l' rocks about its pivot and relative to the chain, the gear segment ll rocks also and causes rocking of the segment 16. Thereby, if the finger I yields backwardly, the spring 53 is compressed,

, the purpose of which and upon release of the force which caused yielding of the finger the spring 53 will promptly restore the finger to its outwardly directed fishengaging position. The spring 53 is sufficiently strong, and its force can be adjusted at I5, that it will not yield under such resistance as would normally accompany continuing movement of a fish along the trough, but it will yield to even such a force or reaction as a limp fish will produce when halted by engagement of its tail by the fish-halting means 93, at the pick-up point.

Immediately in advance of the finger I, and likewise carried by the chain II], is a slightly in clined shoe 2, the purpose of which is to depress the fiesh of the halted fish, which might otherwise tend to engage and hang up on the inwardly projecting base of the finger I, even though the latter is depressed, so that the finger I when so depressed will slide readily over the side of the fish, as it is shown doing in Figure 5. Likewise, it will be observed that the face of the finger I is stepped back as indicated by the shoulders I8, (as seen also in Figure is to depress and hold down the fish in the trough 5, and to comb-at thereby its tendency, sometimes encountered, of buckling and rising out of the trough. Likewise, the free end of the finger is slanted, corresponding generally with the slope of the opposite side of the trough I, and the spacing is sufiicient to avoid the possibility of injury to the operator should he get his fingers in the trough in the path of an advancing finger, yet to have suflicient body of the finger in position to engage the solid flesh of the fish at the neck out.

It is clear that the fish in a given run may vary from those in another run in average length or size. The machine would ordinarily be set to accommodate the shortest fish to be expected in any given run, so that such shortest fish will arrive in proper time at the pick-up point. The finger must yield relative to all longer fish. In order that its yielding may be kept to a minimum, particularly in time, it is preferable that the phase relationship of the finger I be adjustable with relation to the cyclic period of the lugs BI and of the fish-engaging pins 9i. Such adjustment is readily incorporated. in the drive of the chain It, particularly in association with the driving shaft ii previously mentioned.

The driving shaft M is pinned or otherwise secured to a sleeve A3. To the latter is keyed a collar 44 which, however, is movable axially relative to the sleeve 43. Springs 35 reacting between the head 42 and the collar M urge the latter downwardly, whereby pins 49 carried by the collar 44 are engageable within holes or sockets 45, spaced angularly about the sprocket wheel 4, which is loosely journaled about the sleeve 43. In this manner the angular relationship of the drive sprocket wheel 4 with relation to the driving shaft @I may be altered by lifting the collar id, through the medium of the handle 41, and in opposition to the springs 45, thereby to lift out the pins 49, and then by rotating the sprocket wheel 4 to enable re-engagernent of the pins in angularly spaced holes in the sprocket wheel. By retarding the phase relationship of the fingers relative to the point where it engages the neck out of a fish in the trough, a longer fish can be advanced without yielding of the finger I, than if the finger I is advanced in its phase relationship.

It will be evident that the drive shaft 4| is driven through the gears 48 from the shaft 99 8 which, through the clutch 98, drives the fishdressing machine, and the shaft 99 also drives other mechanisms, including the feed table chains 80, so that all are in correct synchronism.

At the pick-up point, snubbing means are provided for the dual purpose of assisting in slowing down and halting the fish, and of holding the fish as closely as possible against the up-runningperiphery of the bull ring, in the process of its engagement by the series of pins 9|. It will be realized that each fish is caused to change direction abruptly at the pick-up point. Whereas it had advanced endwise and generally horizontally, in a tailward direction, to the pickup point, its tail end is moved directly upwardly therefrom when first engaged by the bull ring and the pins 9I, until finally it is held along the periphery of the bull ring in a generally upright position, tail first and belly out. Because of the rapidity of movement of the bull ring and the abruptness of the change of direction at the pickup point, there have been occasions when the fish was not properly engaged by the initial pins 9I or subsequent similar pins. The snubbing means is so arranged that it will effect elevation of the tail end of the fish in timed relationship with, and substantially at the same speed and in the same general direction as, the initial pins 9i, so that engagement of the latter is facilitated.

The snubbing means takes the form of a funnellike element formed of two halves 3, each pivotally mounted at 30 upon a bracket 3I which is mounted upon a slide 35, guided in the frame at 32 for vertical movement. The two halves are interconnected by the gear segments 33 for conjoint opening and closing movement, and are urged yieldingly toward closed position by the spring 34. The bracket 3I and its slidable support 35 support a cam-follower 36 which is movable in the circumferential groove 31 of a rotative cam wheel which is mounted on a shaft 38, so that at properly timed intervals the slide 35, the bracket 3I and the funnel halves 3 are lifted abruptly, and then are drawn back downwardly. The initial vertical position of the funnel may be adjusted by the means indicated at 39, relative to the slide 35. The shaft 38, for proper synchronism, is driven from the shaft 99 by the means generally indicated at 91.

The operation of the mechanism is substantially as follows: Individual fish of random length are advanced along the feed table 8 to and past a beheading point where each is beheaded, and each is promptly thereafter delivered, belly up and tail toward the pick-up point, within the trough 5. Shortly thereafter the finger I, passing about the idler sprocket wheel 40, arrives at the location of the neck out, which location is identical for all fish, regardless of their length. In order to insure that the finger I will be properly projected and held substantially rigidly outwardly at this moment of engagement, the lead-on end of the cam 52 is shaped at 52a to engage the arm I2 and accomplish this result positively. Accordingly, at the moment of engagement of the finger with the neck out of the fish, the finger I is substantially rigidly projected into the trough, in position to engage the fish. Though the fish may tend to stick, the rigidity of the finger and the breadth and solidity of the flesh which it engages forces the fish to advance toward the pick-up point, and such advance, once begun, continues thereafter with little resistance as between the fish and the trough. After the tailward advance Q- of the'fish along the-trough is well initiated, but before even: the longest fish to be. advanced has reached the pick-up point, the cam-follower [,3 runs off. the end ofthecam 52-, and thereafter the: only force holding, the-finger projected: into fish-engaging and advancing position istheforce of the spring 53. This force is sufiicient, however, temaintain the finger-l projected behindcthe fish,- against the now nominal resistance to'continued advance of the fish, but immediately the -tailpottion of the fish is-engaged by the halting means at. Q3101? by thesnubber; at 3, with sufiicient force tov halt the fishsadvance, this halting forcereacts through the fish upon. the finger, since the chain it continuesto-urge the fingerahead, the reaction causes the finger to collapse against the: chain in a manner indicated inliigures 5.- and '1'. The-force of the spring 5.3. is increasedfsomewhat, but the-finger slides readily over the side of the fish and,.indeed, iii-passing tendsto-hold the fish down. Meanwhile,the'fish-engaging pins Si offt'he fish-dressing machineare advancing toward t .e' pick-up point, and immediately upon their; arrival there tend to engage first the tail end of the fish, and subsequently'the entire back ofthe fishis pinned to the bull ring: 9... However; simultaneously with arrival and movement past the pick-up point of the initial. pins 91-, the; lifter means, constituting the snubher 3 and its. support, move upwardly alongside the path of" the initial pinsfil, and at the same rate; as is determined by the cam track 31. The result is that the tail. end of the fish. ismoved: positively alongside. the initialpins 9i, andis continued: inthat position-long enough for engagement. of the latter securely. Thereafter the lifter is moved: down.- wardly, and. the snubber or funnel 3; while not preventing withdrawal of the fish from the trough, tendsto hold the fish closely. against the periphery'of the hull'ring, so that-it can be proper-l'y engaged by subsequent pins similar to EH,

Meanwhile, ansucceeding fish is arriving in-the trough, and the operation proceeds as before, in cyclic fashion.

It will be realized that a fish which may be twenty six inches in length, or, after beheading, some twenty inches, must move quite rapidly with the bull ring in order to attain a speed. of operation of one hundred twenty or more fish minute; The arrangement herein disclosed has been found admirably suited for the accomplish.- ment of this end. The movement of each: fish along the trough is positive, and in correctly synchronized' relation with the feed table and with thefish-dressing' machine, and yet each finger. is yieldable immediately a fish is halted, and has no. appreciable tendency to buckle the fish or to throw it out of the trough--that is, out of position for proper engagement by the fish-engaging means of the fish-dressing machine. Immediately a fish is removed, that removes the force which caused collapse of the finger l, and the spring 53 tends torestore it promptly to its outwardly projected fish-engaging position. Even though the spring did not return the finger to such position sufiiciently promptly, the cam 52 and itsinitial portion 52a would inevitably accomplish that result, so that no lag can occur.

I claim as my-invention:

1'. In a fish-dressing machine, a trough whereadeposited'fish is movable tailward, in bellyup position, a finger proj-ectable' laterally into the trough in position to engage such afish, means; mounting said: finger in position toproject time within the trough and movable therewith While. so projecting, lengthwise of the trough, means yieldingly urging the finger. outwardly into fish-engaging position, means operatively ens gaged withthe finger to lock the latter against yielding during its.initial engagement with and the initial advance, only, of the fish. but there.- after releasing the finger for yielding, and means engageable with the thus advancing fish after such release or" the finger b0 halt the fishs advance, and. by reaction toeffect yielding oi the then unlocked finger.

2; A fish-dressing machine as in claim 1, Wherein the; finger has. a fish-engaging face, and that face is recedingly shouldered downwardly, and upon its yielding passes tailwardly over the near side of the halted fish, by its shoulders holding the .s' downwardly in the trough, and. by its resilient force urging the, fish laterally against the opposite Wall of the, trough.

A. fish. dressing as iii-claim 1, where,- in the finger is; pivotally mounted-upon its :mounting means, theassembly including a. shield moviable with the latter immediately in advance ofthefinger, and sloped to-urge; the'fish disposed in advance thereof. over the yieldingly retracted finger;

4., Mechanism for.- feeding successive individual beheaded fishm random length-in regular phase relationship tailwardly from a: deposit point to a distant pick-up. point, after their deposit in.- dividually at regular time intervals at such deposit point, and preparatory to their positive re:- movalfrom the pick--up point tallwardly at, like time intervalsand in-the same phase relationship; which mechanism comprises: fishsupporting.- andsguiding means positioned: at the deposit: point to: receive the fish as they are depositedthere, extending. thence to pick-up point, as. a guide toguide the deposited fish in adefinitepathduring. its advanceto such pick-up point; further guide means. located outside the-fishs path, but extending generally parallel thereto from ad.- jacent the deposit point to adjacent the pick-up: point; a mounting element having guiding; en.- gagement.withsaidfurther guide'means; a pusher member, and means mounting saidpusher member upon saidmounting element i'oradvance; with and also for movement relative to the; mounting element in-adirection transverse tothe. direction of advance; resiliently yieldablemeans reacting between said mounting element and. said pusher member to'maintain the latter nor,- mally in. position projected. into the lis-hs path, to; engage behind its-neck cut to effect advance of theengaged fish along'said iish-engaging-arui.- guiding means frcmthe deposit point tothe-pick up point, bntyieldable uponencountering abnor-- mal-resistance-to-advanceof the fishafor retracr tionof the pusher member in such event relativeto its mounting element and transversely. out of: the fishs path-of advance; means located; at the piclc-up point, in such position and at such spac-- ing; from the deposit point as to engage theleadingtail portion of a tailwa-rdly advancing fish,v and tohalt further advance or" each fish; the tail! portion whereof arrives sooner, in the regular phase. relationship, than, the time for its-removalthence; drive meanszsynchronized with the: 25'1"." rival of: fish at the deposit point and with the pickrup of fish atthepick-up point, and opera:- tively connected to; said mounting element to: advance the same, and the: pusher member; mount'ed'thereon, continuously and-at. a=substa tially constant rate of advance sufficiently: rapidi to effect advance of the tail portion. of. a fish; of

, short of the point attained by such pusher memher at the time, in the regular phase relationship, when a fish of maximum length is halted by the fish-halting means.

5. Mechanism as defined in claim 4, wherein the drive means is formed as an endless chain whereto the mounting element is secured, and the pusher member is a finger, and wherein the mounting means interconnecting the pusher finger and the mounting element is formed as a pivot pin directed generally parallel to and transverse to the direction of advance, whereby the finger may be deflected out of the fishs path, to

travel along the side of the fish, and wherein the resiliently yieldable means is formed as a spring reacting between the mounting element and said finger, to urge the latter normally outwardly into fish-advancing position, but upon yielding permitting such deflection of the finger.

6. The combination of claim 4, wherein the pusher member is pivotally mounted upon the mounting element, and wherein the locking means is formed as a cam track fixed alongside the path of said pusher member, in position to engage and thereby prevent pivotal movement of the pusher member away from its normal projected operative position, said cam track terminating intermediate the points in the pusher members advance that correspond to the point of initial engagement thereof with a fish at the deposit point, and the point it reaches when the longest fish is engaged and halted by the fish-halting means, respectively.

7. The combination of claim 4, including mechanism forming part of the drive means to advance or retard the pusher member in the phase relationship, to accommodate shorter or longer minimum-length fish, respectively.

8. Mechanism as defined in claim l, wherein the drive element is formed as an endless chain, and the pusher member is formed as a finger, the drive means including two spaced sprocket wheels mounting said chain, and one whereof is a drive sprocket, a driving shaft, and means interconnecting said driving shaft and said drive sprocket for relative angular adjustment, whereby to advance or retard the pusher member in its phase relationship, to accommodate shorter or longer minimum-length fish, respectively.

9. Mechanism as in claim 4, wherein removal of the fish from the pick-up point is accomplished by movement of the tail end of a fish positioned there upwardly at an abrupt angle to the direction of the length of such fish, such mechanism including additionally: means positioned to engage and lift the tail end of such a fish, and guided for movement generally parallel to the direction of removal of the fishs tail end, and means operatively connected to the drive means and synchronized in the normal phase relationship to raise said lifting means substantially simultaneously with initiation of removal of the fish's tail end.

10. Mechanism for feeding successive individ- I2 ual beheaded fish of random size in regular phase relationship tailwardly from a deposit point to a distant pick-up point, after their deposit at regular time intervals at such deposit point, and preparatory to their removal from the pick-up point tailwardly at like time intervals and in the same phase relationship, which mechanism comprises: a trough extending from the deposit point, in position to receive deposited fish, to the pick-up point, in position for their removal thence; a pusher member formed as a bell-crank lever, one end whereof constitutes a finger; an endless chain whereon said pusher member is positively pivotally mounted; drive mechanism to position said pusher member with its finger projected within the trough for engagement behind a fish, and to advance said chain, and the pusher member, along the trough from the deposit point to the pick-up point steadily at a rate sufficiently rapid to effect arrival of the tail portion of a finger-engaged fish of minimum length at the pick-up point in time for its removal thence, in the regular phase relationship, but to effect arrival of the tail portion of a longer finger-engaged fish at the pick-up point prior to the time for its removal thence, in the regular phase relationship; means located at the pick-up point, in position to engage the leading tail portion or a tailwardly advancing fish, and to halt further advance of each fish the tail portion whereof arrives sooner, in the regular phase relationship, than the time for its removal thence; resiliently yieldable means reacting between the pusher member and the chain, normally retaining the finger extended in operative position within the trough, but for yielding of the finger out of the path of an engaged fish upon halting of such fish and during the continuing advance of the chain and pusher member; and a cam track paralleling the path of said pusher in the vicinity of the deposit point, in position and of a length to engage the second end of the bell-crank pusher member, as the same advances, and thereby to retain the finger positively extended within the trough during and immediately following its initial engagement with a deposited fish, said cam track terminating at a point in the advance of the pusher member short of the point which is attained by such pusher member at the time, in the regular phase relationship, when a fish of maximum length is halted by the fish-halting means, whereby the finger is thereafter only yieldably held extended after the second end of U the pusher member advances beyond the terminus of the cam track.

11. Mechanism as defined in claim 10, including a gear segment connected to the bell crank pusher member, to oscillate therewith, a second bell crank lever also mounted upon the chain, a first arm whereof is formed as a gear segment complemental to and meshing with the first gear segment, and wherein the resiliently yieldable means is formed as a spring reacting between the second arms of the two bell crank levers.

12. Mechanism to transfer individual beheaded fish of random length generally horizontally lengthwise from a deposit point, whereat they are deposited at regular time intervals and with their neck cuts all located substantially alike, tailwardly during a like allotted time interval to a pick-up point whereat first the tail portion, and immediately thereafter successive points along its back, are engaged and lifted vertically lengthwise at like time intervals, said transfer mechanism comprising: means to support and guide a fish for tailward movement in the direction of its length along a path extending between the deposit point and the pick-up point, stop means at the pick-up point positioned and shaped to engage and halt the fish thus advancing tailwardly, a drive element supported for movement alongside the fishs path, and continuously advancing in the direction of the fishs advance at a rate to advance the shortest fish to the pick-up point during the allotted time interval, and in time to arrive at the latter point not later than the time for its initial engagement there, a finger, means supporting said finger upon the drive element for advance therewith and also for movement with respect to the drive element, means yieldable only under the influence of resistance in excess of the normal resistance to continued advance of the fish, normally holding the finger projected within the fishs path, in position to engage and advance its fish, but upon yielding, under the influence of a resistance in excess of the fishs normal resistance to continued advance, permitting movement of the finger relative to the still-advancing drive element from its fish-advancing position, and lock means located for operative engagement with the finger only during that portion of its advance While it is engaging and initiating advance of the fish, to lock it against collapse.

13. Mechanism for feeding successive individual beheaded fish of random length in regular phase relationship first transversely of their length, while disposed at regularly spaced intervals in side-by-side relation, and with their neck cuts all at the same side and in alignment, to a deposit point, then tailwardly in time to clear the following fish even though the latter be of maximum length, to a pick-up point in time i to be there engaged and halted, and subsequently to remove the same tailwardly at regular in tervals, even though it be of minimum length, which mechanism comprises, in combination: a

header table; means to advance beheaded fish initially along said header table in a direction transversely of their length, at definite space intervals and corresponding time intervals, while disposed side-by-side and with their aligned neck cuts all at the same side; means at a deposit point located at the terminus of said header table to receive and support each such fish, and to guide the same for tailward movement to a distant pick-up point; a pusher member and guide means therefor guiding the pusher memher in a path to engage the pusher member with the neck out in each such fish at the deposit point, and for advance of the pusher member and the so-engaged fish tailwardly to the pickup point; means located at the pick-up point in position to engage the tail portion of a tailwardly-fed fish, and to halt the same; fish-removing means guided for movement in a definite path which includes the pick-up point, and including means to engage said fish-removing means with the so-halted fish and to remove the same in regular phase relationship, at time intervals corresponding to the time intervals of the fishs feed along the header table; drive means synchronized in regular phase relationship with each of the initial advancing means and the removing means, respectively, and operatively connected to said pusher member to advance the latter along the aforementioned path at a rate suifioiently rapid to clear the pushed fish from the deposit point in advance of the deposit there of the following fish, even though the latter be of maximum length, and to deliver a pushed fish of minimum length to the pick-up point not later than the arrival there of its engaging and removing means, and consequently at a rate sufiiciently rapid to deliver a longer fish to the halting means prior to such arrival of its engaging and removing means; and resiliently yieldable means operatively interconnecting said pusher member and its drive means, yieldable upon early halting of the longer fish for movement of the pusher member from its operative, fish-advancing position during con tinued advance of the drive means, and by its resilience restoring the pusher means to operative position, in the regular phase relationship, relative to its drive means upon removal of such longer fish by said fish-removing means from the pick-up point.

14. The combination of claim 13, including means incorporated in the pusher-driving means, adjustable to advance or retract the phase relationship of the engagement of the pusher with the fish, Without disturbance of the general synchronous relationship of the fish-advancing means of the header table and the fish-removing means, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 673,255 Haigh Apr. 30, 1901 1,078,720 Cleveland Nov. 18, 1913 1,125,655 Cleveland Jan. 19, 1915 1,459,273 Waugh June 19, 1923 1,542,196 Waugh June 16, 1925 1,653,906 I-Ieinbockel et al. Dec. 27, 1927 2,245,329 Danielsson June 10, 1941 2,248,004 Lipton July 1, 1941 2,356,655 Danielsson Aug. 22, 1944 2,419,289 Savrda et al. Apr. 22, 1947 2,532,198 Savrda Nov. 28, 1950 2,546,512 Lewis Mar. 27, 1951 

